IMAGE: Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a comeback to the Indian team after a gap of four years, having been picked for the T20I series in New Zealand. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in the Indian team after a long gap of four years.
- The 36-year-old last played for India in the T20I series in New Zealand in November 2022.
- Raina attributed the Indian team’s success across formats to the depth of talent available in the country.
Suresh Raina believes the diversity of batting styles among India’s top players has made the game more innovative, while terming Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Indian T20 team for the tour of New Zealand as the reward of hard work, discipline and consistent performances in domestic cricket.
“Cricket has become an innovative sport. Abhishek Sharma is batting well. Shubman Gill is playing in a different form. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are playing differently in 50 overs. We are lucky that we have a lot of coaches now.
“We have a lot of players who are playing different, fearless cricket. They are playing fantastically well and handling the pressure. It is so great to see everyone contributing strongly,” Raina said on the sidelines of the launch of the Indian Softball Cricket League in New Delhi.
Raina also congratulated Bhuvneshwar on his return to the Indian squad, saying the veteran pacer’s dedication and discipline had paid off.
Bhuvneshwar, 36, is back in the Indian team after a long gap of four years. Interestingly, he last played for India in the T20I series in New Zealand in November 2022. He has been a consistent performer for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, playing a vital role in their back to back title triumphs in IPL 2025 and 2026.
“Congratulations to Bhuvi. He has done a great job in recent times. He has played domestic cricket. I spoke to him. I met him. He is a busy cricketer. Hard work has paid off; it always pays off.
“At the age of 36, he has shown character. He has been a very disciplined bowler. He has been a very process-oriented guy. He has worked really hard on his body. I hope he does very well when he goes to New Zealand. Best wishes to him,” Raina said.
Asked about India’s consistent performances across formats, Raina attributed the team’s success to the depth of talent available in the country.
“It has been happening. We have almost 4-5 teams now. We went to Japan and got a gold medal. There is going to be an Olympics in LA in 2028. A good team will be formed there as well. Congratulations to all the awardees, whether it is cricket or hockey,” he said.
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